Trapped (Bullied Book 4) (Bullied Series) Vera Hollins (best large ereader txt) 📖

would have to pass the living room, which was connected to the hall, so there was no way for us to leave unnoticed.

“What now?” I mouthed as I took a step closer to him.

“Wait,” he mouthed back, raising his hand in a stop motion. “I’ll look around for another way. Don’t move.”

“No, Blake—” I started, but he didn’t listen, walking in the direction of the living room.

I fisted my hands. I knew he shouldn’t go there. They were going to see him and—

A crash coming from the living room made my blood run cold.

“Blake,” I whimpered.

Another crash ripped through the air, and I darted around the banister to the sounds of fighting and grunts. I’d barely made it two steps when Isaac came out of the living room and rushed toward me with his gun. With a scream, I bolted around the banister and down the stairs to the basement, panic setting my lungs on fire when he fired the gun at me.

I screamed again, staggering into the basement. What could I do? I couldn’t escape! In just a few seconds, he would reach me and kill me… My eyes darted frantically around the empty room—

The ropes!

But…

No, I had to do it.

I grabbed the rope and stopped next to the open door at the last possible moment. Isaac rushed inside, unable to see me hiding to the side, and I acted on instinct.

I threw the rope around his neck and pulled as hard as I could, adrenaline flooding through my system.

“Bitch,” he choked out as he elbowed me in the stomach.

I was left without air as a sickening pain burst forth in my abdomen, and I almost let go of the rope. Pushing through it, I yanked the rope even harder, wrestling with him as he tried to take me down. His choking sounds mixed with my loud grunts when he tried to elbow me again, but I barely dodged it, and the rope cut deep into my skin when I pulled it even harder.

He choked and spurted, backing us up. “I… Kill…” He rammed me into a wall, trapping me between him and the firm surface as shouting and crashing rang out from the living room.

His elbow found my stomach again, which knocked all the air out of me. I cried out, nauseated by an unbearable pain. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was about to release the rope, but then he collapsed head first, hitting the floor unconscious, and I almost ended up sprawled on top of him.

I regained my balance. My hands still yanked at the rope, my mind refusing to accept the possibility that he was unconscious, thinking he must be playing tricks on me…

But seconds passed, and he didn’t move. I released the rope and slumped down to my knees as the horror of what I’d done surged through me. Was he dead? No, he couldn’t be dead.

I pressed my fingers to his neck and felt a faint but present pulse. I cried out in relief. He was alive—

A shattering scream cut through the air, and my stomach dropped.

Blake. I had to get to Blake immediately.

I supported myself against the floor to stand up, but immense pain ripped through my abdomen, bringing tears to my eyes. I wheezed, telling myself to ignore the pain and exertion, and forced myself up to my feet until I spotted a bulge in the back pocket of Isaac’s jeans that looked like a phone.

I could use it to call the police! Yes.

There were more sounds of crashing, and I forced myself to move faster. Blake, hang on.

“Please don’t wake up soon. Please, please, please,” I whispered to Isaac and pushed my hand inside his pocket. Yes! It was a phone.

I dialed 911 with trembling fingers and forced myself up to my wobbly feet as I listened for any new sounds from the living room, dreading seeing Bobby Q or Lawrence at any moment. I hope Blake is okay. I hope he isn’t banged up or…or dead. I hope—

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“Please, help! My friend and I have been kidnapped, and there are three of them. They have guns. I…I think my friend is hurt. Please, send the police immediately.” I talked a mile a minute, my heart rate through the roof as I stared at Isaac’s unmoving body. He could move at any moment…

“Do you know where you are?”

I gave her the address, and then she asked for more details. I had to repeat myself a few times because most of my words came out jumbled.

“Please hurry,” I whined.

“The police are on the way,” she told me. “Stay put and wait for them—”

The gun went off in the living room, and a scream lodged in my throat.

Blake.

The phone slipped out of my hand and fell down.

“Miss? Hello? Miss?” I could hear the dispatcher calling me as I reached for Isaac’s gun on the floor. I rushed out of the basement, ignoring the pain in my stomach. The weapon felt strange in my hand, heavy with the added weight of the silencer, and I didn’t know what I was going to do with it.

I halted and peered around the wall into the living room. Blake and Bobby Q were fighting in the middle of the space, the chairs, coffee table, lamp, and gun thrashed around them. Several bruises already tainted their faces. Their punches were quick and brutal, and my stomach curled up into a tight knot when Bobby Q threw a one-two punch at Blake, making him stagger against the wall.

“You’re done for, Jones,” Bobby Q taunted.

I raised the gun at Bobby Q as I stepped into the room, but something in the corner caught my eye. Lawrence was slumped against the wall on the floor, unconscious, with Blake’s belt knife stuck in his stomach. A huge amount of blood soaked his gray shirt and pooled around him, and for a moment, I couldn’t move, fearing he was dead. I tore my gaze away from him.

“D-Don’t move,” I told